The present disclosure relates to data processing by digital computer, and more particularly to integration of social networking services and gift card services for mobile devices.
Gift cards may provide a form of payment for a particular merchant that may be used at a point of sales. For example, a clothing retailer may issue plastic gift cards that include magnetic strips similar to credit cards, where the gift cards are associated with credit to pay for purchases. A shopper may buy a gift card from the retailer and give it to a friend. Then, the friend may try to purchase clothing from the retailer by using the gift card, where the gift card may be swiped through a point of sales terminal similar to swiping of a credit card. At the retailer, backend systems may determine whether a sufficient amount of credit exists for the gift card and the purchase may be wholly or partially paid by credit associated with the gift card.
Social networking services allow for members of their services to interact with each other and build communities of people. Social networking services may be built on a web-based platform where a user of a computer may use a web browser to interact with profiles of members, where the interaction may include sending instant messages, posting text or pictures to a board or blog of messages, and the like.